Trial and Error
by CurrentlyIncognito
Summary: She ran away from home. She ran away from the institute. She ran away from her mutation. Her name, is Rogue: destructive, unpredictable, vicious, solitary. And she’s done running away. This is a rogue's story of living up to her name. Eventual ROMY.
1. Prologue

Note: Been indulging in loads of wonderful, wonderful ROMY fanfics. :D Figures it's time to return the debt a tad and contribute a bit to the community. Enjoy~ Or as the French say it, Avoir un beau temps, or something like that. :)

Warnings: To be safe, spoilers for all four movies... if you squint. :)

Universe: Hoping for movie verse. But I'm quite confused myself which belongs to which, so it's AU.

Ratings: Mild violence.

Pairings: Rogue and Remy. Aww... double 'R's. *melts*

Disclaimer: Am borrowin', promise to return to Marvel in one piece (minus some limbs in some cases, but one piece nevertheless)

* * *

Prologue

'I'm fahne, really,' she repeated for the umpteenth time, 'Can I please go now?'

The kind doctor, back for the third time this week because of this particular patient, sighed and took off his black-rimmed glasses. 'You should get some rest, my dear. Your mutation is still developing and the six months break you took from it has taken a toll on your body's immune system.'

'Ah know, doctor,' her accent thickened as she shifted uncomfortably on the uncomfortable bed, 'ah shouldn't have taken the cure. That was stupid of meh. Ah promise won't do it again,' she gave him a reassuring grin.

'Rogue, you're letting Pietro's personality get the best of you,' he stated lightly, storing the blood he just withdrew from said lady into separate vials.

'Can't a gal be in a good mood?' her laughter echoed in the small room, light and unworried.

He chuckled lightly, having grown accustomed to her extreme temperaments 'I take that Logan's back?'

Her expression sobered immediately, 'Why would I care? He's been gone for half a year. Why come back now?' her tone was challenging.

A lesser man would've flinched and looked away, Doctor McCoy merely chuckled and said cryptically, 'Why indeed…'

Rogue stuck her tongue out at the furry blue man, 'So,' she cleared her throat and tried to sound unconcerned, 'how's the new cure coming along?'

He dropped an empty test tube in his surprise. Would it not be for Rogue's quick reflexes, it would have shattered on the marble floor. It hovered a few millimeters above ground. Doctor McCoy stared numbly as the tube returned to it's rightful position on the rack.

'I heard you were working on the cure for the disease that has been plaguing the non-mutant population,' she sounded almost accusing to his ears. 'So, how's it coming along?'

He cleared his throat self-consciously, 'it's still a long way from completion, but the main components of the cure are coming along nicely,' he admitted. He waited for the angry response he had gotten from numerous other mutants her age: A long drawl of furious insults that ultimately ended with the word 'Traitor'. It was only fitting. When the disease first emerged, the people were terrified. After all, they had no inkling about it whatsoever. It didn't take them very long to notice that only non-mutants were sick. Starting off with a mild cough that gradually led to a high fever, nosebleeds, kidney failure and ultimately death, the people were no longer terrified. They were furious, blaming the mutants for the disease. Dr. McCoy was asked to help in finding the cure when they discovered that somehow, someway, the mutant gene carried a protein that was capable of coding for an antibody that could fight against the virus. He was, indeed, a Traitor.

She frowned for a second and gave him an encouraging smile, 'I am glad.'

To say he was taken aback by her response would be an understatement. He was unbelieving, 'My dear, are the psyches giving you any trouble lately?' the kindly blue man put a hand on her shoulder.

'You mean, are they any louder than usual?' she tilted her head, giving him a cold glare, 'No. But I'm trying out the advise the professor gave me before-,' she waved her hand dismissively, 'it doesn't matter.' She floated into the air and phased out of the lab without so much as a whisper goodbye.

As luck would have it, she had managed to phase into Logan's private supply of alcohol. She tilted her head in amusement as a sudden revelation hit her. With a dismissive shrug, and a silent, 'what the hell,' she helped herself to a bottle of nineteen ninety seven Australian wine.

After two pints of vodka, a glass of ginger ale, and approximately one and a half bottle of fine wine, Rogue could do little to keep her brain intact whilst being berated by the unofficial guard of the mansion.

'What the hell were you thinking, kid?' he swore coarsely, taking in the scene before him. When he unlocked the chest he kept hidden under the sink, the last thing he was expecting was a drunk Rogue curled up in it, working her way through another bottle of his collection.

'Ah'm ain't a kid no more, Logan,' she responded, more out of habit than anything. 'And ah wasn't' She giggled, as if proud of the fact.

'Get back to bed, we're gonna have a talk in the morning,' he growled.

'For the last time Logan,' she climbed out of the cupboard on uneven legs, 'Ah ain'ta kid. We are _not_going to have a talk. And Ah am _not_goin' back to bed. Ah'm goin' out foh a walk!' she declared, puffing out her chest defiantly.

'You don't know what you're saying, kid,' his eyes looked as if they were challenging her to defy.

'No,' she crossed her arms, '_You_ don't know what y're sayin'. Yah don't even know who yah are. Y' know nothing,' grief was visible in her eyes, 'y' don't evanh remembah,' tears were tickling down her cheeks, 'yah don't have to remember the pain, the anger, the fear.'

He didn't understand. And in his silence, he tried to make sense of her blabbering.

'Y' don't have the professor in ya head, telling you how to help others. Y' don't have Jean, fighting for control. Yah don't have Magneto, plotting to take over. Y' don't have Wolverine, consumed with grief. Yah don't have Bobby, Mystique, Pyro, Kitty, Colossus' she slid down onto the floor, 'Y' don't…' she sobbed into her hands, 'Y' don't know _anythin'_.'

'I know you,' even as he said it, he didn't believe it. Not anymore. All this time, he never knew…

Her hazel eyes looked feral, it looked like his eyes when he's angry, 'NO!' she screamed, 'Y' don't, Logan! Y' don't even know yah self!'

The words were out before he could stop himself, 'and you do?' He knew he shouldn't, knew that he was taking advantage of her drunkenness, but he wanted – _needed_ – to know.

Perhaps it was the plea in his voice that sobered her up, perhaps the healing factor in her had finally taken over, whatever it was, she looked liked herself again when she shook her head, 'no,' her white bangs fell into her eyes tiredly, 'Ah don't.'

'You do, don't you, kid?' he sounded angry and he knew it.

'I'm sorry Logan, I don't know what came over me,' she whispered as she got up, ignoring his question.

'Just now, you said that I'm overcome with grief in your head. Why?' he wanted to know.

'I'm sorry Logan. Forget everything I just said,' she ran a shaking hand through her hair, or at least tried to, it went right through the top of her head. She shook her head roughly, 'I need a walk.'

'Did you just phased, Stripes?' for the first time that night, he looked worried, 'Is it your mutation? Did you talk to Hank about it?'

'Ah can take care of mahself,' she all but shouted.

'I promised I'd take care of you, kid, and I will,' his anger was seeping through, threatening to overcome his worry.

The voice that came out of her lips were not hers, but Magneto's, 'You can't even take care of yourself,' she raised her hand and with a gentle wave, sent her on and off caretaker through the window of the mansion. She followed, floating out of the mansion through the hole she just made, 'you can't even protect the woman you love,' and she gave a howl that sounded all too familiar to him. Her voice was that of his lifelong nemesis when she next spoke, 'When will you ever learn?'

He gave an inhuman growl before leaping into the air and forcing Rogue to the ground, 'get a hold of yourself, kid!'

She phased through his hold and with a well aimed kick on his back, forced Logan to the ground. 'You claim to want the truth,' she was Magneto once more, 'but when offered it, you choose not to accept it.'

'Rogue, what is the meaning of this?' Storm floated down from the rooftop.

'Storm, get away! She's-' but before he could warn her, Rogue, her eyes a menacing glow of red, focused her anger on her. In an optic blast of crimson that has not been seen since Cyclops had passed, Storm was thrown into the sky. Or she would have been, had she not been trained enough to react to the attack within a split second and move out of harm's way.

Logan took the diversion to get out of her hold and, out of pure desperation, punched her across the face with only as much force as he dared. She fell hard across the lawn and went limp when her head came into impact with the fountain.

Storm floated down gently, 'What happened?'

'Her mutation went out of control,' he winced as he relocated his arm. Her words rang in his mind, over and over again as he tried to make sense of them, 'she seemed to be everyone she's ever absorbed.'

'Not again?' she sighed, checking Rogue's head to see if there were any wounds, 'poor child…'

'What do you mean, "again"?' he was shouting before he could help himself, 'you mean this has happened before?'

She frowned when she realized there was not a scratch on her student despite the fact that she had just been thrown ten feet across the grass, 'Twice. Both times in the Danger Room so there were no permanent harm and we managed to calm her enough to regain control of her psyches.'

'And you never told me?' he sounded unreasonable, like an ill mannered child who did not get the toy he wanted.

Storm sighed, 'she is no longer a child, Logan. Rogue's decisions are her own.' _And you weren't around,_ she thought, but that didn't need saying.

'What decisions?' his voice had returned to it's low growl.

'It is not in my place to tell you,' she sounded resolute, 'now, help me bring her to the observatory room. Hank would take another look at her.

* * *

Done. So, what'd you think? Worth continuing?


	2. Chapter 1: Life went on

**Note:** I apologize for the previous second chapter. I didn't like where it was going. Hopefully it still makes sense! This continues after the prologue. The next chapter is going to be a flashback.

**Universe:** I'm going to try very hard to stick to the movie verse, so if I do anything that strays, please tell me.

**Ratings:** T for future chapters because Remy is involved.

**Pairings**: Remy/Rogue. I swear! Don't believe in any other pairing that may pop up!

**Disclaimer**: Not mine. Life sucks that way.

**Chapter 1: Life went on**

She woke up in a room of white and sighed deeply, "Ah thought ah just got out of here," she lamented.

Beast guffawed good-naturedly and handed her a glass of water. "I take you're feeling well?" he asked, feeling her head gently with his hand. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was looking for a bump that was no longer there. He sighed and sat down in a chair next to hers, "I need to ask something of you Rogue. Not as your doctor, but as your friend, if that's not too presumptuous of me."

Rogue sat up straight in the bed and placed a gloved hand carefully on his. She offered him a smile, "You and yah fancy words. Of course we're friends, sugah."

He smiled although he was a little unsure of her answer. "I'm afraid I'm in a very uncomfortable position that requires a rather unusual decision," he said. "I received a call this morning regarding the cure to the disease. They need my help, but they don't trust my relation to the x men-"

"They're asking you to quit just because you're with us?" she could quit keep the anger from her voice. "Why, you're helping them!"

He picked up traces of Storm in her outburst. He sighed and took off his glasses, "I'm afraid it's worse than that," he didn't dare look at her in the face as he continued, "They're asking me to quit the x men."

She stared at him, as if unable to believe what he just said. Then, she took a few deep breaths to calm herself because he hadn't taught her nothing in her many, many visits. "Ah think..."

Beast was glad to find himself speaking to Rogue again.

"Ah think that you should do what you must. People are scared of what we can do," she explained, mostly to herself, "an' if yah helping them will show them that we're not all bad, then ah believe yah should. But only if yah want to, sugah." She shook her head slightly, her online outward expression to her continuous effort of keeping all the psyches suggestions and outbursts contained.

Beast waited patiently for her to continue.

"They're not going tah be happy," both of them knew how strongly some of their friends felt about helping the non-mutants, as if everyone had to take a side, as if there were sides to choose from. She grasped his hand tightly, "But ah'll be on your side, whatever you choose."

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak just yet.

"Um... Not to ruin the mood or anything," Kitty's head chirped from the unopened door, "But Storm wants to know if you're going to class today, Rogue."

"Of course, Kitty," she offered her a slight smile.

"Thank you, Kitty," Beast said, smiling gently as he put his glasses back on.

Kitty blushed a shade of pink and disappeared hastily.

Rogue waited for a few seconds before saying to Beast, "Ah'm not going anywhere Beast, if yah need me."

"I am truly grateful, Rogue," he said. "I needed to hear that."

"Anytahme, Beast," she got out from the bed and headed towards the door. "'sides, yah would've made the raght choice 'nyways," she said as she threw him a blinding smile from the door. Her pale skin contrasted against the dark of the hall outside made her seem as if she was glowing.

Beast wondered briefly if he was too old to be in love before dispelling the thought as unprofessional. Besides, the idea was too hopelessly romantic, even for him.

He packed up his kit and walked out of the mansion, perhaps for the last time... But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Rogue went to her room for a change of clothes before hurrying for her morning class. She was partially glad to have absorbed Kitty's phasing abilities. Her trips to classes had been considerably shortened.

Her decision to drop by the kitchen for something to snack on for her torturous morning class was ruined by a whiff of caramel chocolate pancakes and an overly crowed room. She sighed and sauntered off.

* * *

Logan woke up with questions that needed answering, so he went to the first person he knew he could intimidate into answering his questions: Bobby. The last thing he expected walking into when he barged into Bobby's room was an undeniable scent of ice-boy and multiple other women. He growled and grabbed a fast asleep Bobby by the shoulders to ram him onto the nearest wall he could access, all his prior questions suddenly forgotten.

"Wolverine? What the-?" was all Bobby could manage before Logan planted a nice sharp claw not two inches from his eye.

"What happened to you and Rogue?" he demanded.

Bobby gulped and answered, staring at the claw, "S-She broke up with me t-two months ago." _After she caught me sleeping with Kitty_, thought Bobby, praying that Logan will never find out.

Said man retracted his claws doubtfully. "I ain't done with you, kid," he warned as he dropped Bobby on the floor.

He followed her scent, heavily masked by the morning's breakfast, all the way to the top floor of the maze-like construction. Rogue, dressed in a long sleeve green turtleneck and blue jeans, was answering a question on the board when he opened the door. 'Kid, I need to speak to you,' he stated.

Rogue's look of surprise was promptly replaced with one of annoyance. She placed the chalk gingerly on the desk and leaned on it comfortably, 'Later.'

'You can't avoid me forever, kid,' he said. He marched in with the full intent of dragging her out of the class but found himself suddenly immobile.

'Not everything is about you, you know,' she said. 'Now if you don't mind,' she smiled at him in a way that was completely unfamiliar to him. It was sympathizing and demeaning all at the same time, 'I have a class full of impressionable minds I need to educate before it's too late.' She raised her hand and gently pushed him out of class, closing the door after him without ever leaving her position at the desk.

Logan stared at the closed door for a full minute before allowing himself to believe that he had just spoken to Magneto disguised as Rogue. Today was just not his day, he thought to himself as he went on to find Storm, who hopefully, would be more helpful.

She was sitting in Wheel's office, marking a stack of boring-looking papers and did not notice him until he was standing right in front of her desk. 'Logan!' she greeted smiling, then caught the look of anger in his eyes, 'You'd better sit,' she said, putting her papers aside.

He sat down gratefully.

'A lot has happened since you left, Logan,' she explained.

He growled, 'I said I'm sorry, storm. What else do you want me to say?'

She sighed, 'I'm not blaming you for anything, Logan.'

'Well,' he started, 'it sure feels like I'm being punished for something. And I'm not saying I don't deserve it.' They sat in silence, both unsure of what to say. Storm's room was heavily decorated with potted plants and scented flowers, as if she had attempted to move her greenhouse into the room and succeeded only marginally.

'We needed you, Logan,' she admitted quietly, breaking the silence, '_I_ needed you.'

'I know,' he said, guilt weighing in his voice heavily. 'I needed some time to myself after-'

'And you think we didn't?' she raised her voice without meaning to, 'You think it's been easy for us? After Scott, and Jean, and the professor,' she stood up, 'You think it's been easy for me?'

'I'm sorry,' was all he could say.

She breathed in deeply before turning around, 'It's not just me you owe and apology to, Logan.'

He sighed deeply, 'I know,' he said.

Turning around, she offered him a sympathetic smile as she sat down, 'So, what do you want to know?'

'Everything,' he answered, 'What happened after I-' _killed Jean_, his subconscious filled in for him as he said, 'left?'

* * *

Rogue's little show earned her a few terrified looks from her students who already thought she was insane. She sighed and assigned them readings while she continued writing impossibly long equations on the board as their homework.

'Professor,' Kitty had her hand raised high in the air.

Rogue rolled her eyes before turning to look at her, a smile plastered on her face, 'Yes, Miss Pryde?'

'We have to go to our next class, can we come back to like, copy your question later?'

Rogue looked at the clock. Trust Logan to ruin her schedule. She nodded, 'I'll be in my office if you need any help. Remember that class for next week is cancelled so I won't accept any excuses if you haven't solved the questions the following week,' she kept writing as she said, 'class dismissed.'

She didn't stop writing until she ran out of space on the blackboard. She stared at the board. Sighing, she erased a number of questions that have not yet been covered in her class. After gathering her things, she walked towards the exit. Her hands touched the metal knob on the door and she paused. She stood facing the closed door and tried to remember why she was assigning homework to a group of students. Then she sat down on the floor with her head in her arms and tried to remember her name.

* * *

Preview: Chapter 2: When you were gone. Six months ago, they met for the first time.

Remy and Rogue's first meeting! Whoot! Reviews please? =)


	3. Chapter 2: When you were gone Part 1

**Note:** I apologize for the previous second chapter. (again) For those of you who've read it, please reread it. I changed the story completely, I'm afraid. Please don't hate me! Also, I'm borrowing Wolvie's non-aging formula and using it on Remy. This way, he won't be old and wrinkly.

**Universe:** I'm going to try very hard to stick to the movie verse, so if I do anything that strays, please tell me.

**Ratings:** T for future chapters because Remy is involved.

**Pairings**: Remy/Rogue. I swear! Don't believe in any other pairing that may pop up!

**Disclaimer**: Not mine. Life sucks that way.

**Chapter 2: When you were gone (Part 1)**

Six months ago...

It was a rather silly thing to be chased down for. He had forgotten to wear his contacts after he left the hotel and did not realize until he reached the park, where a group of protestors had chosen as their meeting area. It was incredibly unfortunate that one of the younger men had noticed his red on black eyes as he was passing through to get to the cafe on the other side of the park.

He blamed his forgetfulness on the fact that he just lost his home to guild politics. He should be entitled to some carelessness. On the other hand, he thought the guns were a bit too much, especially when one of the shooters was a dead shot.

'Merde,' he swore as he ran away from the hate-driven mob. He was faster than they are. They, however, had the upper hand of not bleeding in several places. Shouts of 'Mutie scum!' and 'Freak!' were gaining on him when a hand grabbed him from an alley and dragged him in. It was a small alleyway, easily hidden in between two restaurant signboards. His savior pushed him behind her and waited for people to storm in. He thought she was almost a little disappointed when no one found them.

'Yah bleeding!' she exclaimed when she finally turned to look at him.

Between the pain and the relieve, Gambit thought he was looking into the eyes of an angel. When she tried to look at his injuries, he waved her away hastily, 'Gambit's fine.'

She stared at him, 'Yah bleeding,' she repeated, slower this time.

'Gambit's a fast healer,' he explained, trying to hide his eyes as best he can without running away. Last thing he wanted was to have to knock a beautiful woman unconscious for something as silly as forgotten contacts. He prayed that she wouldn't notice.

Her hands, covered in long gloves, were stained with his blood, 'Desole,' he offered. They looked like very comfortable gloves. He realized that apologizing was a mistake, for she looked up and caught his eye to question what he was apologizing for. 'Pardon?' she said.

'For y' gloves,' he was surprised and pleased to find that she did not cower away from his eyes, nor did she run away screaming. That's always a good sign.

She stared at her blood stained gloves for a good minute, frowning. Remy stared, captivated, as she pursed her lips and took off her gloves with great care. She turned to focus her eyes on him, 'Ah guess ah don't need this anymore,' she stated with an air of finality.

Remy tried not to look too confused as he kissed the back of her hand briefly, 'Merci, ma chere, for saving Gambit's life back tere,' he said. He was, after all, raised with good manners.

The woman looked nonplussed as she snatched her hands back. She stared at him as if waiting for something horrible to happen. Remy could only stare on bewilderedly when she started laughing. He was convinced that he was dealing with a crazy woman when her laughter turned into a full-fledge, class one bawl. He wondered if he could run away politely, but reduced himself to patting the woman's back awkwardly, 'tere, t'ere,' he said, looking around for the nearest escape route.

'Ah-Ah'm sorry,' she mumbled, once she stopped bawling. She cleared away her tears with the bloodied gloves, unknowingly smearing her face with his blood. 'Yah must think ah'm some sort of lunatic.'

'Gambit would never-'

She sent him a disbelieving look.

He nodded, 'A little, oui,' he agreed.

'Ah'm sorry,' she repeated, 'it's just that-' she paused, as if realizing she was opening her heart to a complete stranger. She shrugged, 'ah haven't touched anyone without hurtin' them since mah mutation started.' She smiled at him, and he thought it was the most honest and brightest smile he has ever seen, 'thank yah.'

'Y' mutation?' he couldn't help but be a little curious.

She clasped both her hands together tightly, 'ah can't touch people without hurting them.' She looked guilt ridden when she said, 'Ah took the cure... Ah'm sorry.'

Remy, being Remy, couldn't help but try and wash away her guilt with chaste kisses on her cheeks. 'Gambit wouldda done de same, chere,' he admitted between kissing her tears away, 'tere's not'ing t' be ashamed of.'

His words only brought more tears, 'thank yah,' she said. 'Thank yah.'

He stood and held the stranger for a while, his arms wrapped securely around her shoulders as she cried into his chest. Remy felt the last of his wounds heal up as he stole a glance at his watch. He swore inwardly and cleared his throat, 'Desole,' he started, loosening his hold on his savior reluctantly, 'Gambit has somewhere he needs t'be.'

She yelped and jumped out of his embrace, 'Ah'm so sorry. Ah don't know what got over meh!'

Remy gave her his best grin, 'Happens all de time,' he lied. 'Merci, f'r saving Gambit,' he said, bowing a little as he backed himself out of the alley, 'but Gambit really needs to be going now. Where can Gambit find you?'

She hesitated for a second before answering confidently, 'Xavier's Institute for the Gifted. Ask for Rogue,' she said. 'Mah name's Marie,' she added, 'what's yours?' she asked before realizing that he's been repeating his own name in his sentences all this while. She blushed an embarrassed shade of pink.

'Remy,' he replied, 'm' name's Remy.'

* * *

Note: I hope y'all like where this is going. I actually have a plot this time. Points for those who spotted Remy in the previous chapter! =D Reviews pretty please?


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